Home insulation is a hot topic in the world of energy conservation. It can be one of the most affordable ways to save energy but many of the products themselves are hard to work with and environmentally wasteful. We’ve all heard how asbestos can actually be dangerous to one’s health. A popular modern alternative is foam insulation which comes in either spray-on or rigid board format. Fiberglass is a long time favorite but hard to work with, being both itchy and hazardous to breath. A new contender has arrived however, that may replace foam board and fiberglass in many situations. It’s organic, biodegradable, easy to work with and often comes from recycled sources. It’s insulation made from blue jeans.
I’ve always experienced a sinking feeling when using materials that we all know are not environmentally friendly, even if I am using that material to do something “good” like insulate my house. Styrofoam releases toxins into the atmosphere during production and is known to degrade very, very slowly and consume a lot of space in landfills. There are also drawbacks to using fiberglass, it’s harmful to breathe in and extremely irritating to handle which makes installation and updating a real challenge. The tiny glass particles in fiberglass can be very irritating to the skin and since it’s made from glass it doesn’t biodegrade especially well, just like Styrofoam (though to be fair it doesn’t take up the same space). In five or ten years we may look back on fiberglass and foam the same way we do asbestos which has been found to cause lung cancer.
A great alternative insulation product hit the market that addresses the environmental issues as well as handling challenges of traditional home insulation. We’re talking about denim insulation made from blue jeans cotton. This is a winning product all around, it’s made from organic materials potentially grown right in the country you’re already living in and in many cases the material itself is made from scrap leftovers as denim clothing products are created. Furthermore, the natural properties of denim make it a wonderful insulator and installers love it because they don’t get glass in their lungs and can interact with the product more efficiently, thus providing a better end service to you.
Cotton fiber insulation is being produced by a few large companies including UltraTouch and is available all over the web or through your local builder, definitely ask for it the next time you need insulation.
